This year Valentine's Day falls on Saturday, so you have different options for cooking up something for your sweetheart. Since you can sleep in, you might want to try these for breakfast. But remember they are also perfect for dessert. Bright red strawberry jam enveloped in delicate French pancakes and lightly sauteed seems like a Seriously Simple signature dish for either course.

I love making crepes. In graduate school I worked as a crepe maker and tried many different batters and fillings. It was fun. Here is my basic sweet crepe recipe. Make sure to let the batter rest for a few hours before making the crepes for best results. When making crepes use only a nonstick skillet for easy flipping. You can make the crepes 2 hours ahead and let sit at room temperature. If you are pressed for time, look for premade crepes. They're usually in the produce section of your supermarket.

If you are serving these for breakfast, accompany with a few slices of crisp bacon or sausage. Serve on a tray with a cup of tea or coffee, a single rose in a vase, and your Valentine will be thrilled. You can adapt the filling to whatever your particular flavor likes are -- a few suggestions include cherry preserves with toasted hazelnuts or apricot preserves with toasted almonds. Use a good quality preserve for this recipe. And you can always add some sliced strawberries and garnish with a cloud of whipped cream for a dreamy dessert.

Crepes with Strawberry Jam

Serves 4-6.

Crepes:

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter

Extra unsalted butter to saute (about 1 tablespoon)

For the filling:

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Powdered sugar for garnish

1. Place all the ingredients for the crepes in a blender, cover and process until completely blended. Pour into a measuring cup with a spout, cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. If the batter becomes too thick, thin with a bit of milk or water to the consistency of thick cream.

2. Lightly butter an 8- or 9-inch nonstick skillet on medium heat. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan and tilt and swirl the batter, pouring off any excess back into the batter, until the crepe evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Cook the first side about 1 minute or until it bubbles and is just set. Flip the crepe over and cook another 10-20 seconds or until it is just set. Turn the crepe out onto a plate lined with wax paper and continue cooking the crepes, placing a piece of wax paper between each crepe to keep from sticking.

3. Place a crepe on a sheet of wax paper and evenly spread 2 teaspoons of jam on the surface. Fold the crepe over once and then again so that the crepe is folded in a quarter segment. Repeat with the remaining crepes.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet with a teaspoon of butter on medium heat and place 4 crepes in the pan. Saute until browned on each side about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Serve each person 2-3 crepes. Slide out onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)